Why buy the Pixel 3a when you can get a refurbished Pixel 3 for $399?

Nick Gray
5 years ago

The Pixel 3a is the new go-to recommendation for anyone who wants a great smartphone camera without breaking the bank. The combination of the Pixel’s camera experience and a $400 price point is extremely hard to ignore. That being said, the Pixel 3a does have a few compromises when compared to the original Pixel 3. Its processor is slower, it only has 32GB of storage, Google removed the second wide-angle front-facing camera (which we absolutely adore) and you trade in the metal and glass body of the Pixel 3 for a polycarbonate finish on the 3a. Oh, and let’s not forget that the Pixel 3 comes with unlimited Google Photos storage for photos and videos at full resolution.

But what if we told you that you could purchase the Pixel 3 for the same price of the pixel 3a? If you’re willing to purchase a refurbished device, you can pick the Pixel 3 for just $399 on Amazon or the Pixel 3 XL for $489.95.

All refurbished/renewed smartphones sold by Amazon have been inspected and tested to look and word like new ones. The devices also come with a 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee which will allow you to get a refund or exchange the device if it doesn’t work as expected. If you’d rather buy a used Pixel 3 from the original owner rather than going through Amazon, you can always pick one up from Swappa where the Pixel 3 for as little as $350.

While we love the Pixel 3a, the Pixel 3 is definitely a much better smartphone, even if you purchase a used or refurbished device. The extra storage, wide-angle selfie camera and extra power offered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 make a world of difference when you have the option of buying either device as the same price.